Department ofBotany

Biological Conservation Newsletter

No. 157July 1996

Editor: Jane Villa-Lobos

TEXAS ENDANGERED SPECIES PROGRAM

Recent reorganization within the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department division that focuses on conservation of endangered
resources has resulted in a single program. The Endangered
Resources Branch (ERB) of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
has merged the former National Heritage Program with the Endangered
Species Program. The Biological Conservation Database (BCD)
continues to provide the core source of information used by the
ERB. With more than 3,500 annual users, the BCD provides an
essential service to Texas landowners, other conservationists,
consultants, and government agencies.

Texas is unique among western states in its size and in the
high percentage of privately owned land within its borders. Only
about three percent of the land area in Texas is publicly owned.
These fundamental factors must be considered in the development
of natural resource conservation strategies in the state. This
also means that a great percentage of Texas's biological
diversity occurs on privately owned land. A 1995 law was passed
requiring written permission from landowners before agency
personnel or others could collect natural resource data on
privately owned property. There had been a several-year trend
during which it had become increasingly difficult to collect such
data on private land. The need for written permission also
applies to the Department's ability to store the data in heritage
(or other) database and to report and publicize data in a way
that would identify property. This law is thought by some to be a
positive development in that many landowners who are not well-
informed about their choices will actually make the choice to
allow data collection on their property.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, including the ERB,
does not have funds for land acquisition for the purpose of
biodiversity conservation at this time. Instead, a principal goal
of the ERB is to supply quality, practical information on the
state's resources to as many users as possible. This information
will complement the stewardship interest that already exists with
most of the landowners, and which, in a real sense, is the reason
for the persistence of much of Texas's biological diversity.

The Endangered Resources Branch is working on other strategies
to encourage conservation among private landowners. One is the
development of a "safe harbor" habitat conservation plan for
endangered woodpeckers in East Texas. Branch staff also are working
with landowners in South Texas to develop a cooperative agreement
to voluntarily conserve an endangered plant. Another is an effort,
assisted by state universities, to develop an importance index for
the natural communities of Texas (which are tracked in the BCD)
based on the occurrence of endangered/threatened species within the
communities and the respective rarity of the communities
themselves. This, in turn, provides a measure of "conservation
value." When communities with high conservation value are
identified, the Branch will alert public leaders and landowners,
stressing that they have done a good job in conserving local
endangered resources and that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
staff are available if assistance is needed. Beginning this year,
conservation easements will be formally encouraged and an incentive
program may be established.

In all, the future looks bright for endangered resource
conservation in Texas. For a state with a long history of ranching
and some past land abuses, this is good news. And in the current
social climate that emphasizes landowners' rights, it is
encouraging to find that landowners are interested in cooperating
in the effort to conserve biological diversity.

RESEARCH IN MEXICO

Located in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, the Rancho Los
Colorados Biological Station is available for individuals
interested in the study and/or observation of subtropical flora and
fauna. Under an agreement with the ranch owner the "Center for the
Study of Tropical Birds, Inc. (CSTB)" is facilitating research and
birdwatching activities at the ranch. Botanical, entomological as
well as vertebrate ecological studies are especially desired.
Limited financial and/or logistical support is available. For
additional information, write CSTB, 218 Conway Dr., San Antonio, TX
78209-1716; Tel.: (210) 828-5306; Fax: (210) 818-9732.

GREEN GOLD

Green Gold is an international company based in India which
supplies forestry, horticultural, floricultural and agricultural
seeds to government forestry departments, development agencies,
NGOs and scientists around the world. Staffed by a team of
professional foresters and scientists, seeds offered are of known
origin and are collected wherever possible from plus trees. Green
Gold specializes in the supply of top quality "neem"
(Azadirachta indica) in the form of seeds and stem cuttings
from plus trees, "neem" oil and "neem" biopesticides. A catalog of
more than 250 multipurpose Indian tree species is available upon
request from Green Gold International, 14071/5, Prabhat Nagar,
Dholewal, Ludhiana 141003, India; Tel.: 0091-1662-32326; Fax:
0091-1662-32120.

INFORMATION HIGHWAY
HI-LITES

On June 8, 1996, the American Museum of Natural History
launched its site on the World Wide Web (found at
http://www.amnh.org), as part of its ongoing effort to expand its
educational reach and bring its vast resources to the widest
public possible. The Museum's Web site contains a wide range of
material, from general information on the Museum and its programs
to detailed information on exhibits, scientific research, and
educational programs. Of special interest to educators, the
"Education" section provides an overview of educational offerings
at the Museum. This section will soon include a science "I.Q"
quiz ("Sci-Q"), a teachers' guide to "Expedition: Treasures", and
a range of other resources and activities for teachers, other
adults, and children.

The Museum's Web site makes use of "Java", a programming
language that enables the site to function in a manner much like a
CD-ROM, allowing users to interact with "virtual exhibits" complete
with movement, sound, video, images, and text.

The National Biological Service has identified several World
Wide Web sites, available through the National Biological
Information Infrastructure, that provide data and/or information
relating to U.S. national parks. The listing of these sites can
be accessed on the World Wide Web at
http://www.nbs.gov/pr/newsrelease/nps.html.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

The Sierra Club Green Guide: Everybody's Desk Reference
to Environmental Information, by Andrew J. Feldman, is an
essential reference and networking tool providing complete access
to the vast array of organizations and services that offer
information on environmental issues, including toxic substances,
solid and hazardous waste, endangered species, environmental
justice, sustainable communities, air and water quality, and
alternative energy sources. Encyclopedic in its scope, the
Green Guide, offers the reader in-depth evaluations of and
introductions to the 1,200 most useful informational sources,
with 250 online sources, more than 100 on the Internet alone. The
Sierra Club Green Guide sets a new standard for
environmental reference works by introducing an extensive cross-
referencing system which enables readers to find resources
quickly and efficiently.

In addition to serving as an essential professional desk
reference, the guide is a primer for ecologically friendly living,
covering the full range of "green living" issues, including eco-
travel, funding resources, employment opportunities, environmental
education and socially responsible investing.

It is available at bookstores, or by direct mail ($25.00, plus
$6.00 postage and handling) from: Sierra Club Store Orders, 730
Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109, or call 1-800-935-1056.

Change is one constant and dynamic force that is continuously
influencing faunal diversity in forests around the world. The
design of strategies to conserve forest species and habitats is
needed in many parts of the world today. A new publication,
Conservation of Faunal Diversity in Forested Landscapes,
edited by R.M DeGraaf and R.I. Miller, serves to coalesce the
knowledge of conservation scientists in different parts of the
world in regard to the current influence of environmental change on
forest fauna.

The book highlights the status of key vertebrates inhabiting
the world's forests and the past and current effects that
environmental change exerts upon these populations. The evidence of
changes in forested ecosystems are proposed. Several chapters
concern the current methods used in the verification of the impacts
of change and disturbance on forest wildlife. These methods will
help to identify priority forested areas for conservation. Finally,
the integration of landscape ecology and its application to forest
wildlife conservation is demonstrated.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Nature Conservancy has an opening for a chief zoologist
in the Conservation Science and Stewardship Department (CS & S)
of the Latin America and Caribbean Division (LACD). The zoologist
is responsible for the zoology program and for coordinating
zoology activities related to information for conservation
action, in situ conservation, and outreach. These
responsibilities include: 1) continuing zoology programs relating
to the generation, analysis, and maintenance of biodiversity
information such as Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA), and
central database development; and 2) contributing to the
department's new, ecoregional approaches to biodiversity
conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean. He/she will
coordinate training and technical assistance for all LACD
partners, as well as raise funds for these programs and
activities.

The chief zoologist is part of a newly established multi-
disciplinary science unit of CS & S. This unit employs a spatially
explicit, ecoregional approach to conservation planning, which is
consistent with the Conservancy's new conservation framework. The
incumbent will work also with the director of the Migratory Bird
Initiative (MBI) to ensure a cross departmental consistency of
approach and capture of the MBI derived information into central
science databases.

Qualifications include: advanced degree in zoology, preferably
a Ph.D. with a good working knowledge of vertebrate systematics,
animal ecology, and conservation science; 2) competency with
database software, animal survey methods and GIS; 3) fluency both
written and oral in English and Spanish; 4) excellent speaking and
writing abilities; and 5) willingness to travel overseas for
extended periods.

The Smithsonian Institution's Biological Diversity of the
Guianas Program (BDG) is looking for an interim manager to run the
Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity (CSBD) on the campus
of, and in cooperation with, the University of Guyana (UG) in
Georgetown. The BDG is a field-oriented endeavor that has been in
operation since 1983. Its goal is to study, document, and
preserve the biological diversity of the Guianas. Originally
confined to botany, it has since expanded to include faunal and
general biodiversity studies as well.

The CSBD opened in June 1992 and houses a herbarium, a
zoological collection, small library, GIS center, and staff
offices. The interim manager is the focal point for all
biological diversity activities for the BDG Program. Because of
the nature of the program, a biologist with a good knowledge of
field research and taxonomy and who would be willing to work
under what are, at the present time, less than optimal
conditions, is preferred.

This job is a half-time contract position with the
anticipation that the interim manager will conduct his own
research during the other half of the time. It is preferable that
the position be filled for two years, starting October/November,
1996.

The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) has an opening
for co-coordinator of the course, "Tropical Biology: An
Ecological Approach", which will be held January-March, 1997 in
Costa Rica. The co-coordinator works with the OTS Instructor of
Tropical Biology, Dr. Deedra McClearn, to lead the eight-week OTS
flagship course with 22 motivated graduate students from
institutions that are members of the OTS consortium. The course
is intellectually and physically demanding. The co-coordinator is
expected to travel through the course itinerary on a separate
trip or by arriving early enough to do so, as well as to carry
out course preparation tasks beforehand and follow-up after the
course. Qualifications include: Ph.D. in an appropriate aspect of
tropical biology; substantial field experience, preferably in
Costa Rica; knowledge of OTS courses or similar offerings;
excellent teaching abilities (lectures, research design, data
analysis); a proficiency in Spanish; and first aid certification
(can be obtained following acceptance of position). Travel and
subsistence costs are covered by OTS and an honorarium is
provided.

To apply, or for more information, contact Dr. Shaun Bennett,
Academic Director, OTS, Box 90633, Durham, NC 27708-0633; Tel.:
(919) 684-5774; E-mail: sbennett@acpub.duke.edu. Applications will
be considered until the position is filled.

FUTURE MEETINGS

September 2-5. "Reproductive Biology 96", an international
conference, will be held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Its
aims are to develop the use of reproductive characters in
systematics, to explore the role of pollinator selection in
breeding system evolution, and to evaluate the significance of
plant reproductive systems in terms of conservation strategies
and sustainable agriculture. For more information, contact: Dr.
Simon Owens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9
3AE, England.

September 2-6. The World Heritage Tropical Forests Conference,
"Science for Better Management and Understanding", will be held in
Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. The conference will
provide a unique opportunity for natural scientists, social
scientists, forest conservation managers, traditional land owners,
government policy makers, tourism operators and the community to
work together more effectively to better understand and protect
some of the world's most outstanding natural and cultural heritage
sites. For more information, contact: Conference Secretariat,
World Heritage Tropical Forests Conference, PO Box 1280, Milton,
Queensland 4064, Australia; Tel.: 617 369 0477; Fax: 617 369
3369; E-mail: whtf96@sunray.im.com.au.

September 2-6. The National Museums of Kenya will host the
"Fifth International Congress of Ethnobiology" in Nairobi, Kenya.
The theme will be ethnobiology and conservation of cultural and
biological diversity. It will provide a forum for the review of
research results that contribute to the theory and practical
development of various fields of ethnobiology. Contact Christine H.
S. Kabuye for more information at: National Museums of Kenya, P.O.
Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya; Tel.: 256 2 742131-4 or 254 2 742161-4;
Fax: 254 2 741424; E-mail: biodive@tt.gn.apc.org.

Septemeber 7-11. "Teaching for the 21st Century: Botanic
Garden Education for a New Millennium", sponsored by Brooklyn
Botanic Garden and Botanic Gardens Conservation International,
will be held at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York. At
this conference, botanic garden educators from around the world
will gather to evaluate the success of their environmental
education programs and to begin planning future joint efforts.
For more information, contact: Third International Congress on
Education in Botanic Gardens, Attention: Lucy Jones, Brooklyn
Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225-1099.

Booth, W. 1996. Ecosystem paradoxically glows at former
atomic bomb factory site. Washington Post May 26: A3.
(Savannah River site one of the most intact and biologically
vigorous ecosystems in southern USA)